The house on the corner…

[Packard]

About 30 years ago I moved from Long Island, where most of the older houses were built in the early 1950s, and on a single street, consisted of identical or nearly identical exteriors.

I moved to an areal about 90 miles north of Manhattan.  The area has one “major” city (The City of Poughkeepsie) and several smaller towns (The Town of Poughkeepsie, Beacon, etc.).  The older homes in the area date back to the turn of the last century and up to the end of Prohibition.

Now that I have set the table, here is my question.  Why are the corner houses on any given street substantially larger and more elaborate than the homes they bookend on the same street.

Very often these larger, corner homes have been converted to commercial ventures such as funeral homes, law offices, medium size medical practices, etc.

So, why are the corner homes the largest in each area?  Is this common practice?

 

[twistsol1]

Here's a wild guess with no data to support it. I think that corner lots were more desirable, and therefore cost more. The people willing to pay a premium for a corner lot were also more well heeled financially and were able to build a larger house.

 

[tjbnwi]

The corner lots have more street exposer, more curb appeal, more sales.

Tom

 

[peter halle]

As written above, please the home would be viewable from the side.  Often times the home would be built of a "higher" standard building material such as brick vs clapboards.  That practice even came into play where I used to live and that neighborhood was developed in the 1980's.  Brick homes on every corner and siding everywhere else.  Also larger in square footage.

Peter

 

[Packard]

Before the large medical practice I use merged with another large medical practice, they worked out of a corner lot residential home. 

I estimated that the building footprint was about 45’ x 45’ or perhaps 50’ x 50’.  There were three full floors up, and one basement with full height ceilings.

Visually, the other houses on the street were about 1,600 to 2,000 square feet. Compare that to the almost 10,000 square foot total in the corner lot medical practice.

When the moved from the old building (corner lot) to their new building in a commercial area, they upgraded to 56,704 square foot modern building.  I have no idea how many doctors were working from that old building—probably 50 or more. 

So, in my neighborhood at least, the size and (probably) the cost differential between the corner lot homes and the other homes that they bracket was quite substantial. 

I’m not sure I fully understand the mindset behind that differential, especially since I see it in neighborhood after neighborhood.

Thanks for the replies. 

 

[Crazyraceguy]

I suppose this is a very regional thing, maybe even in different areas of the same city, if it is big enough.
The block I live on is in a fairly old neighborhood. Most of the houses where built in the mid to late 1920s. There are nine on my particular block and 6 of them are the same, at least originally, they have all been remodeled to some degree or another since. The one on the west end of the block is one of those that matches the majority. This same model of house appears in groups, in different parts of town. I assume they were built around the same time, but have no facts to back that up.
They are not Sears Craftsman homes, but maybe the plans were easy to get approved?
Conversely, the next block to the east is similar to your observation. The house on the west end of that block is quite a bit bigger/more impressive than the rest, it even has a double-lot.

 

[squall_line]

In my city, the larger, older houses sometimes stand out among the smaller houses because the larger house was the original farmhouse or estate house on a large lot that was later subdivided into a neighborhood of lots.

It's interesting to drive through Morrison, IL on US-30 and see the large multi-story homes up on the top of the hill overlooking the highway and railroad while all of the homes and lots down in the flats are smaller.

 

[semenza]

I think it is simply put a better, bigger house, on a better , bigger plot and sell it to those with more to spend.

Most corner lots are a bit larger either on purpose or out of some space division necessity. Plus there are neighbors on two sides rather then three.

Seth

 

[Crazyraceguy]

It's interesting to drive through Morrison, IL on US-30 and see the large multi-story homes up on the top of the hill overlooking the highway and railroad while all of the homes and lots down in the flats are smaller.

Funny you should say that. The houses directly across the street from me were all built after 1955. They are dramatically different, small single-story with no garage (or a later added detached garage in back) They are too close together to add one on the side. Plus, the newer neighborhoods do not have alleys behind them, like my side of the road does. Back when mine was built, this was the farthest south/west corner of the city. Now it would just be the next layer outside what folks would call "inner city" (Just outside of downtown, which is not residential) The downtown area has always been commercial, retail, and even industrial (if you go far enough back)
The city leaders have been trying to add that aspect to the area for a few years, but it is very slow going. There is very little space for new construction and fire regulations make high-rise apartment buildings nearly impossible. There have been a couple of new ones built, in the last few years, but they are limited to 3 floors. I think it's 3, maybe 4? Anyway, that area is a food-desert. The nearest grocery store is several miles away (and in a not-so-great part of town) It will be years, maybe decades, with a lot of growth, before it becomes reasonable.